Leflunomide

Leflunomide
Clinical data
Trade namesArava, Lefumide, Arabloc, others
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa600032
License data
Pregnancy
category
  • AU: X (High risk)
Routes of
administration
By mouth
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability80%[7]
Protein binding>99%[7]
MetabolismGI mucosa and liver[7]
MetabolitesTeriflunomide
Elimination half-life14–18 days[7]
ExcretionFaeces (48%), urine (43%)[7]
Identifiers
  • 5-methyl-N-[4-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl]-isoxazole-4-carboxamide
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.123.883 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC12H9F3N2O2
Molar mass270.211 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • O=C(Nc1ccc(cc1)C(F)(F)F)c2c(onc2)C
  • InChI=1S/C12H9F3N2O2/c1-7-10(6-16-19-7)11(18)17-9-4-2-8(3-5-9)12(13,14)15/h2-6H,1H3,(H,17,18) checkY
  • Key:VHOGYURTWQBHIL-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
  (verify)

Leflunomide, sold under the brand name Arava among others, is an immunosuppressive disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD),[8] used in active moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. It is a pyrimidine synthesis inhibitor that works by inhibiting dihydroorotate dehydrogenase.[9]

Bottle of Leflunomide (Arava) and tablet
  1. ^ "FDA-sourced list of all drugs with black box warnings (Use Download Full Results and View Query links.)". nctr-crs.fda.gov. FDA. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference TGA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Anvisa (31 March 2023). "RDC Nº 784 - Listas de Substâncias Entorpecentes, Psicotrópicas, Precursoras e Outras sob Controle Especial" [Collegiate Board Resolution No. 784 - Lists of Narcotic, Psychotropic, Precursor, and Other Substances under Special Control] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Diário Oficial da União (published 4 April 2023). Archived from the original on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Arava SmPC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Arava FDA label was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Arava EPAR". European Medicines Agency. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Arava (leflunomide) dosing, indications, interactions, adverse effects, and more". Medscape Reference. WebMD. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  8. ^ Dougados M, Emery P, Lemmel EM, Zerbini CA, Brin S, van Riel P (January 2005). "When a DMARD fails, should patients switch to sulfasalazine or add sulfasalazine to continuing leflunomide?". Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 64 (1): 44–51. doi:10.1136/ard.2003.016709. PMC 1755199. PMID 15271770.
  9. ^ Pinto P, Dougados M (2006). "Leflunomide in clinical practice" (PDF). Acta Reumatologica Portuguesa. 31 (3): 215–24. PMID 17094333.